


Revelations

by dotpng



Category: Halt and Catch Fire
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-01
Updated: 2016-10-01
Packaged: 2018-08-18 22:33:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8178572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dotpng/pseuds/dotpng
Summary: “We have a history.”





	

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt: "Gordon finds out Joe isn't straight."

“So,” said Joe, walking into the elevator. “The Giant.”

Gordon looked up from the stain on his necktie he’d been inspecting. “Huh? Oh, Joe, you don’t have to call it that. I was just-” he grimaced, “I’m sorry about the other day. I was upset about the new specs and I- I guess I freaked out on you guys. You know how stressful this stuff is.”

Joe glanced over at him. “Well, for what it’s worth, I didn’t think the Contrail was the best name. Describing your little outburst in front of Church was enough to get the marketing people on board with the Giant instead.”

“Still though, that guy looked so on edge for a while I thought I’d blown the whole thing. Even before I said anything, you were just- just heaping praise on his stupid fancy box, and he looked _pissed_. I mean, Jesus, you got him here, what did he have against us?” For a few seconds there was only the creaking of the elevator. Looking up, Gordon realized Joe was staring at him, a strange expression on his face. “Joe?”

He narrowed his eyes as if considering something, and after a long pause opened his mouth as if to speak, and then- the elevator doors slid open, and whatever moment they’d been having was drowned out by the bustle of Cardiff Electric. With a last cryptic glance back, he stepped out and disappeared into the crowded office, leaving Gordon confused, but only slightly more so than any other time he tried to talk to him. Sighing, he shook his head, left the elevator and resigned himself to adding yet another mental question mark to his understanding of the enigmatic and weird Joe MacMillan.

* * *

 

It was later, and he’d completely forgotten about that morning when Gordon rushed into the office, not pausing to knock. “So, Joe, I had those new hardware requirements here and-”

“You wanted to know about Simon Church.” said Joe. His back to Gordon, he leaned against the window, looking out into the street below.

“Huh?”

“He and I…” He hesitated, and then, all in a rush: “We have a history.”

“Huh.” Gordon blinked. “So he used to design for IBM? That’s not…” _Not exactly interesting._

Joe turned, frowning. “What- No, Gordon, we were- partners.”

“Partners? I didn’t know you were in business with anyone before-” he paused, and Joe raised his eyebrows. “Wait, you mean… Oh. Oh! So you guys were…” his words faltered while he gestured vaguely with his hands. Joe winced a little. “I, uh. Yeah, ok. So you’re- you’re into men, is what you’re saying. Is that- Is that what you’re saying? I’m sorry, I don’t-”

“Is that going to be a problem?” The words were calm, but in the line of Joe’s shoulders, the set of his jaw, the tension was palpable.

“What? No!” Gordon blurted out. “I don’t care! I mean, of course, I do care, I’m not- like, I’ve got this friend, George, he’s gay, it’s cool, we’re cool, he knows Donna from Berkeley ‘cause they shared a few classes I think, he comes over for dinner, we go bowling sometimes-” he stopped, realizing how incoherent he sounded, and cleared his throat. “Ahem. Anyways.”

As he rambled, the stress gradually went out of Joe’s posture, and he sighed. “Good. Sometimes this… this doesn’t go over as smoothly. People like to judge.”

Gordon shuffled around self-consciously. “I mean… I’m glad you trusted me, I guess? Thanks.” He resisted the urge to pinch himself. Joe trusting someone? Joe trusting him? Cameron, maybe, but…

Suddenly, he thought of something else and frowned. “Hey, wait! You can’t like men.”

All at once the tension was back, and Joe stared at him coldly. “Excuse me?”

“No no, I mean-” Gordon rushed to clarify, “You’re sleeping with Cameron! She’s a girl!”

Now Joe just looked exasperated. “Astute observation.”

“But then- you’re straight!”

“I’m not straight. I’m bisexual.” When he just received a blank stare, he continued slowly, in the same tone Gordon might use to explain computers to Joanie. “I was attracted to Simon. Now, I’m attracted to Cameron. I like men, and women. I’m bisexual.”

Gordon wrinkled his nose and held up his hands. “Wait wait wait, that makes no sense. When I was in college I- I guess you could say I experimented with some guys, you know, just some close friends, we kissed and stuff, but eventually I met Donna, and I married her. So obviously I’m straight.”

By now Joe’s expression had gone from annoyed, to confused, to completely unreadable. “Gordon.”

“Yeah?”

“You aren’t straight.”


End file.
